"Specifically, they need to show off a rocket-propelled vehicle and payload that 'takes off vertically, climbs to a defined altitude, flies for a pre-determined amount of time, and then land vertically on a target that is a fixed distance from the launch pad.'"
Didn't NASA already accomplish that with the Apollo missions?
I think the idea is that when private institutions attempt the venture, and given the advances in the last 40 years, they will find efficiencies where the massive bureaucracy of NASA did not which will help make space travel more available, in time, to the common man in much the same way that air travel is available to the common man.
It's great: You build us something that kicks ass, we'll give you a prize that might offset your costs by 1%, and then we'll club you over the head and take your technology.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
"Specifically, they need to show off a rocket-propelled vehicle and payload that 'takes off vertically, climbs to a defined altitude, flies for a pre-determined amount of time, and then land vertically on a target that is a fixed distance from the launch pad.'"
Didn't NASA already accomplish that with the Apollo missions?
I think the idea is that when private institutions attempt the venture, and given the advances in the last 40 years, they will find efficiencies where the massive bureaucracy of NASA did not which will help make space travel more available, in time, to the common man in much the same way that air travel is available to the common man.
phew... run on sentence!!
It's great: You build us something that kicks ass, we'll give you a prize that might offset your costs by 1%, and then we'll club you over the head and take your technology.